ANIMAL GROWTH AND NUTRITION. 225 



instead of an economy. I have known instances where a 

 half-truth had been mastered ; and with the poor foods 

 albuminous grains or meals have been fed, but in amounts to 

 correspond with the weight of the animal. In practice, we 

 cannot bring our methods to scientific accuracy for various 

 reasons; and it is a sufficient approximation in practice to 

 say, that, if one were feeding calves, yearlings, two-year-olds, 

 and three-year-olds, with one meal to supplement a coarse 

 food, each animal would require substantially the same 

 amount. As an illustration, I find in practice, that, in round 

 numbers, eleven calves, weighing three hundred pounds each, 

 will consume a hundred pounds of Timothy-hay. They would 

 require ten pounds and fifty-six hundredths digestible albumi- 

 noids; while the hay will furnish but about four pounds and 

 a quarter, making a deficiency per calf of fifty-six hundredths 

 pounds daily. I find that five eight-hundred-and-fifty-pound 

 steers will consume a little over a hundred pounds of hay. 

 These five require, daily, eight pounds digestible albuminoids, 

 but get in the hay only a little over four pounds and a quarter, 

 or a deficiency of fifty-four hundredths pounds each. I find 

 on account of their vigorous appetites, and for other reasons 

 to be named, that it is desirable to feed our young stock, 

 as well as older animals, on straw, corn-fodder, or poor hay ; 

 but, so long as they are kept for growth, always accompany 

 such ration by an amount of grain quite uniform at varying 

 ages. 



It is a quite prevalent opinion that the larger breeds of 

 fine animals are the necessary product of excellent foods, and 

 are not the common animal of the farmer. The good animal 

 is always the product of plentiful food ; but in experimental 

 inquiry I have noticed that the best animals were always 

 like the young animals alluded to above (those of good appe- 

 tites) : I have thus found them the best feeders of coarse 

 foods. It is the stinted animal that has the rebellious appe- 

 tite. The larger and better beasts have good digestive and 

 assimilative capacity. Successful feeding with the pig, steer, 

 or cow, in New England, depends upon naturally good ani- 

 mals, with vigorous appetites and good digestive and assimi- 

 lative powers. If a poor animal is to be kept, it might be 

 questioned whether it will pay to feed on the high-pressure 

 system. Certainly it can be overdone more easily with the 



